What is Fair and Effective in a Blended Family?

Listen: Yvonne Kelly's Book Review

Blended-Families.com Coach, Yvonne Kelly writes a review of the book, A Career Girl's Guide to Becoming a Stepmom by Jacquelyn B. Fletcher. Yvonne comments that the Career Girl's Guide is unique because that it is written directly from Jacqueline's experience of being a professional woman who entered into this realm with very little preparation for what she had embarked on. So she can speak to what she wished she would have known as well as to what she now knows as a result of her accumulated experiences as well as those of otherâs she has talked with and learned from.

Listen: Yvonne Kelly's Book Review

For a career woman, becoming an instant stepmom is sometimes the most challenging task she will take on. Her mind is often filled with uncertainties. What exactly is the role of step mother? Should I be a friend or a disciplinarian? How do I juggle the job, the new marriage, and time for myself and still feel balanced and in control? Blended-Families.com invited Jacquelyn Fletcher for an interview on January 15, 2009 6pm EST to shed light to these questions in her book, A Career Girl's Guide to Becoming a Stepmom. Fletcher's book addresses every important issue about being a stepmom, combines a real live perspective, a positive attitude, and a practical approach that focuses on solutions, never defeat or negative compromise.

This year may be the perfect time to introduce an alternative Holiday celebration, based more on making memories and focusing on the reason for the season, and less on commercialism and unrestrained spending.

The Holiday Season, traditionally a time for splurging and generous gift giving, is likely to be a challenge for many families this year as they struggle with the new economic realities of job loss , mortgage meltdown and general financial insecurity. Blended-Families.com offers some guidelines for celebrating in the New Economy. This is the first of two parts.

Listen: Stress Reduction

With over 6,500 subscribers to our step parenting newsletter, we receive requests daily for coaching support. We know you are looking for answers, and we also know how tight times are financially for people right now.

• Outrageously affordable coaching!
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In an effort to meet both your family and financial concerns, the experts at Blended-Families.com are thrilled to invite you to join a live, biweekly question and answer session where you can ask your toughest step-family questions. We're calling it the StepHero™ Q&A Coaching Sessions.

Click here to join and get relief from your Blended Family's "Heart Burn".

Listen: The 7 Pitfalls of Single Parenting

Today Blended-Families.com Coach, Sheena Berg, provides a Book Review of the ground-breaking book, The 7 Pitfalls of Single Parenting by Carolyn Ellis. Sheena finds the book to be a comprehensive guide by detailing what to avoid and is written from a positive, proactive stance beginning with the THRIVE principles that are basic concepts configured in an acronym to convey a sense of inspiration, hope and success: Trust, Honesty, Responsibility, Integrity, Vision and Expression.

Listen: The 7 Pitfalls of Single Parenting

Listen: Make Time for the Family Dinner

It’s well documented that kids who eat dinner regularly with their families feel more connected, do better in school and are less likely to be involved in drugs and alcohol and other risky behaviors.

Today, Blended-Families.com present even more good reasons to make the family dinner part of your routine as often as you can.

Listen: Make Time for the Family Dinner

Listen: Kids Flying Alone

There are million of kids who fly alone either locally or internationally. They are labeled by airlines as Unaccompanied Minors (UMs).

Blended-Families.com offers some tips to parents of UMs in the hope that lessen would be lessened and the flight be delightful and memorable to the child.

Listen: Kids Flying Alone

Listen now: Coping Strategies - Part 2


This is the second of a two-parts articles on how blended families can take action and feel more in control of their destiny as this economic nightmare plays itself out. Additional strategies include enlisting the kids in saving family money and being aggressive in cutting unnecessary spending.


Listen now: Coping Strategies - Part 2